Denial
by Malad
Summary: Laura has some issues she really doesn't want to deal with, leaving everyone else to handle them instead. Carmilla/Laura
1. The List

Laura held the cookie in her mouth as she typed on her laptop with trembling hands. She shook her head to get her newly washed hair out of her eyes. There must be something on the internet about this. She opened a likely homepage and started reading through the list, frowning as she realized that she didn't have the ingredients for any of the stated methods.

"There you are, Cupcake. I was starting to think you'd eloped with the giant and left all your stuff to me."

The voice made Laura jump and she turned around to watch Carmilla with wide eyes, the cookie dropping into her lap. Carmilla was looking as stupid as she always did, with those stupid pants and that stupid hair and that stupid smirk. Nonetheless, Laura gave her a nice smile, because Laura was much nicer than Carmilla. "Oh, Carmilla, hi. I didn't expect you, but I mean I should have because you live here too and that's fine as long as you clean up your mess because, eww, gross."

Carmilla raised an eyebrow and went to the fridge, which was very far from the bathroom, and took out her carton of soy milk. "Don't get your panties in a bunch, Creampuff. Did you go on a love cruise with Sasquatch, or something?" She took a swig directly from the carton (eww), stole the yellow pillow from Laura's bed and plopped down on her own mattress.

Laura huffed. "No! For your information…" She considered, focusing on the carton in Carmilla's grip. "You really should use a glass, Carmilla. Can I have some?"

"No." Carmilla simply leaned back, opening a book with her free hand, and Laura quickly looked away. No one should lie like that while wearing a skirt.

She started chewing on her momentarily forgotten cookie. Sadly, it wasn't one of the good ones. Her headache had yet to disappear, despite the Tylenol. Going to that party on Friday had been her life's mistake.

Alright. Time for benignly casual. Laura took a deep breath, straightened her back, took a look at the WikiHow and asked lightly, "Do you have any ammonia?"

"No."

"That's fine! Just fine. You wouldn't happen to have hidden some tenderizer somewhere, though?"

"No."

Laura scrolled down and stared in disbelief. "Um… saliva?"

With an exasperated sigh, Carmilla lowered her book, and her eyes went from the laptop screen to Laura. "You are aware that tampons are a thing, right? Honestly, it stinks in here. Try toothpaste."

Laura felt herself bristle. "It's not for... toothpaste isn't even on this list!"

"Yes it is, Sweetheart. I read it a few days ago." Carmilla crossed her legs (finally!) and went back to being slightly less annoying. In other words, silent.

Toothpaste _was_ on the list. Why did Carmilla even...? Letting out a harsh breath, Laura got up and almost upended her chair on her way to the bathroom and the washing bin. It was worth a try.

"So, it's pretty obvious to me that Camilla is involved somehow. She told you to stop investigating, and she is acting really... Laura, are you even listening to me?"

Laura blinked and stopped stirring her milkshake. The morning bustle in The Cauldron was making her headache worse. "Yes, of course. I'm sorry, LaFontaine. Yeah, Carmilla is really annoying."

LaFontaine leaned across the rickety table to gaze at her, red hair carefully styled as always. "Not annoying, Laura. _Involved_. As in, maybe complicit in the disappearances. Are you alright? You're looking kinda pale."

Laura took a sip from the milkshake and regretted it instantly. This place had really lowered its standards lately. "Yes, of course. I'm fine, just a bit tired. I didn't get much sleep last night."

She really hadn't. She had been up researching and vlogging on her private channel, unable to get sleepy despite being tired enough to bump into furniture. Carmilla, of course, had left half her clothes (all black, of course) spread out over the floor and Laura's bed before heading out on whatever she did at night. Judging form the terrified - but thankfully distant - screams that cut through the night air of the otherwise sleeping campus, Carmilla's activities could probably be placed in the 'no good' category.

LaFontaine gave her a concerned look, but then they quickly got up and went around the table to steady Laura, who totally could have made it out of the chair on her own. It was a nice gesture, though, so she gave her friend a smile.

Carmilla came back to their dorm room with her boots covered in mud that night, slammed the door behind her and traced brown smears all over the floor. Laura, awake since around sunset, spun around on her computer chair and sighed loudly in an attempt to make Carmilla regret her filthy ways. Of course, Carmilla ignored her and went straight for the fridge.

"What's up, Cupcake? I didn't see you in class today."

"You don't even go to my classes, Carmilla. Philosophy major, remember?"

Carmilla rolled her eyes, closed the fridge without taking anything out and plopped down on her bed to unlace her combat boots. "So? Maybe I've noticed that you've not gone to any of yours. In days."

Laura sighed and said. "I've not been feeling well. Now, could you please… just clean up? You're not leaving me with this." She gestured jerkily at the messy floor, watching with growing irritation as Carmilla just shrugged.

"Later, Creampuff. Did something happen lately?" The remark was offhand, but Carmilla's eyes were unusually sharp, making Laura pause with her cup halfway to her lips. Tea. Who needed sugar anyway?

"No, why?" She suddenly smiled. "Are you worrying about me, Carmilla? Is this you actually caring?"

Carmilla rolled her eyes again, but then she got up in a surprisingly fluid movement and advanced on Laura. The back of Laura's chair hit the desk as Carmilla leaned in, hair tumbling over her bare shoulder, and grasped Laura's jaw with one hand. Her dark eyes were very intent as they wandered over Laura's features from only a few inches away, and Laura seemed to have some trouble breathing. "Um…"

"Show me your teeth."

"What?" Laura managed a faint scowl. At least she hoped it was a scowl.

Carmilla rolled her eyes _again_, and Laura found herself hoping that they would dislocate. Instead of explaining herself or otherwise behaving like a normal person, however, Carmilla reached up and lifted Laura's upper lip with her thumb.

"What the hell, Carmilla?!" Laura's bear spray reflexes finally kicked in, and she pushed hard at Carmilla's chest. Carmilla straightened, the look on her face pensive (but not pensive enough, goddammit!).

Laura got up so fast that the laptop screen shook on the desk behind her as her chair hit it again. "I'm sure someone has told you this before, but assaulting someone is not a good way to be friendly!"

"Laura, calm down. You need to listen to me. I'm a…" Laura was _so _tired of Carmilla's shit. Being cute was no excuse for this. "...vampire."

"What? Carmilla, you're goth. It's not the same thing. However, LaFontaine does have a few questions she'd like to-"

"Laura! I'm serious. I think you-"

"I'm serious as well! Do you know where Betty went? And where do you go at night? I must agree with LaFontaine that it's pretty suspicious, even though I don't think you're really involved. I mean, you don't really act dangerous, unless dangerously messy counts, but..."

Carmilla had her face in her hand, and as Laura watched she sat down on her bed and groaned.

Laura felt her hands shaking with anger and closed them into fists. "You know what? Fine! Whatever. I think I'm going for a walk."

"Laura…"

She slammed the door behind her and stared hard at the wall until she'd gotten her breathing under control and had dispelled the image of Carmilla's large eyes from her immediate memory. Then, of course, she noticed that she was wearing a pajamas and no shoes.

Oh well. Perhaps she could stay in LaFontaine's room tonight.


	2. Cranberry Juice

LaFontaine latched onto the idea at once, of course, because nothing apparently excited them as much as vampires. Laura should have guessed, but it was still slightly disconcerting.

"Aren't you even gonna care that she's a big jerk?" No one really payed attention to the TV in front of the worn couch they were sitting on. Now and then, a student would pass by the kitchen area of the room, saying a quick hello or ignoring them as they went about their own business.

"A big, jerky _vampire, _Laura! You live with a vampire who probably eats people!"

"She leaves her clothes everywhere and steals my pillow, you know? And she has this really annoying habit of getting way too close without reason and… what?"

LaFontaine was giving her that patient look that was both nice and frustrating. "Vampire, Laura. If it's true, that might mean that those girls have been eaten. By her. And you're probably next."

Perry placed a plate of brownies between them and said, resting a hand on LaFontaine's shoulder, "I will have to agree with Laura on this one, dear. Perhaps Carmilla just wants to feel special? She does have a certain style, after all."

LaFontaine sighed and straightened their vest, their eyes a bit more vulnerable as they looked up at Perry. Laura looked away from the silent conversation to survey the brownies, but then she sighed and curled up further in her corner of the couch.

"Shouldn't we be concentrating on just asking her what's up? I tried, but I didn't get a reply. I never do." She rested her cheek on her knee and let her eyes absent-mindedly follow the line of LaFontaine's neck as they turned to look at her again. That really was a nice haircut.

"Aww, don't pout, Laura. I have a plan. And anyway, are you still feeling sick? We've barely seen you around except in the evenings, and you don't…" Laura blinked and looked up at LaFontaine's suddenly changed expression. "...eat."

Laura shrugged and shifted, uncomfortably aware of the two gingers staring at her. "I eat, I'm just not hungry right now."

"Not hungry for brownies. Uh-huh."

LaFontaine was still staring at her, but now Perry's eyes was on LaFontaine instead. After a moment of awkward silence, Laura asked, "So… what's the plan?"

Her friend scratched at their neck. "Um… it's not really finished yet. I'll tell you when I've worked it out, yeah?"

"I'm sorry, Carmilla, I drank all your cranberry juice."

Carmilla looked up from her dusty old book - Schopenhauer this week - and said, slowly, "I don't have any cranberry juice, Muffin."

Laura hung her hoodie on the door of their room and wiped at her forehead with the back of her hand. The sun had set an hour ago, and she had been out on an evening run despite the curfew. Since morning runs were out lately, she had to rework her schedule. "Really, Carmilla? I mean, I don't know why you kept it in the soy milk container in the first place, but it was really good, and I'm sorry. I'll buy some more for you." She gave Carmilla her best smile, but apparently it didn't work. Carmilla's eyebrows were knitted, and she stared at Laura in a way that made Laura feel even guiltier.

"You drank my blood? All of it? Laura, you-"

"Cranberry juice! And I said I'm sorry! I'll make it up to you, okay? Danny says there's this party over at the Summer Society tonight, and I'm feeling much better, so we should really go, right? I'll buy you a beer or something."

It had taken some effort to convince Danny to allow Camilla into the dorm. Apparently they had some stupid rule about vampires entering the building, but werewolves were totally fine. Laura didn't know how anyone at Silas could sleep through the full moon with all the howling, anyway. Being awake at night really had led to some surprises. For example, how and why the members of the Alchemy club manage to glow in the dark?

Carmilla was still looking at her, but then she closed her eyes and let the book slide off her lap. "Fine. But please, could you just tell me, who-"

"Great! We should leave in an hour or so. Please, clean the hairs off my bed first? Honestly, Carmilla, you know pets aren't allowed in the dorms, right?"

She headed for the shower and allowed herself a small smile as she heard the growl coming from the bedroom.

"Carmilla! What the hell?"

Carmilla lifted her head and licked her lips as Laura slammed the door to the unused bedroom on the second floor shut behind her. Moonlight illuminated the exposed the neck of the girl in Carmilla's arms. The girl, whom Laura vaguely recognized as Sarah from her Lit class, tugged a bit at Carmilla's black camisole, exposing more white flesh to the overly dramatic lighting. This party was not going at all how Laura expected.

"What is it, Sugar? I am kind of busy at the moment."

Laura almost stomped at the ground, but she was way too mature for such childish acts. "I thought we came here _together_, and then I find you... you..." She gestured wildly. "...with someone else!"

Both of Carmilla's perfectly shaped eyebrows lifted at that, and she looked down at Sarah's absent smile before saying, "Well, _someone _ate all my food, so I had to get more, didn't I?"

The bass notes of the music coming from downstairs filled the momentary silence in the room. Carmilla shifted her grip on the dazed girl, cold light catching in wavy, blonde hair and dark blood.

_Holy shit._ Laura huffed and looked away, licking her lips. "Is she even into that?"

Carmilla gave a short bark of laughter. "Maybe so, Cupcake."

"You know what? I don't care. Have fun or whatever. I'm going back."

And she did, with her pulse beating loudly in her ears.


	3. Stake Surprise

Danny actually pushed the door off its hinges when she entered their dorm room. Admittedly, this was no great feat considering the poor craftmanship (Laura's dad would have a fit at the lack of security when he came to visit), but Laura had to admit that Danny had made a real effort with the carefully carved and very pointy-looking stake in her hand. Currently, the tall ginger was waving it at a rudely awakened Carmilla, while Perry and LaFontaine looked on from the torn door frame..

Laura could have told Danny that it would be a bad idea to wake Carmilla up at... she fumbled for her cellphone... 4 pm. Laura wasn't too happy either, slowly sitting up in her bed and rubbing at her eyes..

"I will destroy you!"

"Shut up, Xena. I'm trying to sleep." Despite the bored tone of her voice, Carmilla was slowly backing up against the wall her bed stood against, blanket tangled in her legs and eyes on the weapon. Laura groaned and sat up, resting her head back against her own wall. Sunlight was filtering in through the cardboard Laura had used to cover the window, and it made her head hurt.

"Danny…"

"Your killing spree is over, vampire! Don't think your mom will save you now, because we are taking her on next!"

Carmilla's eyes were darkening. "Don't threaten me, Beansprout. You aren't exactly an innocent puppy yourself. Besides, I-"

"And just look what you did to Laura!" Danny waved the stick at Laura, who recoiled slightly.

"Hey, there is nothing wrong with me!"

Perry gingerly stepped in through the doorway and placed a hand on Danny's arm. Laura admired her courage. "Really, I don't think there is any need for this, Danny. The school codec clearly states that any… issues…" She glanced at Carmilla, who was now looking both bored and ready to pounce. "...arising should be handled by the board of administrators. I'm sure they will be able to help Laura as well."

Laura was starting to feel ignored. "I'm perfectly fine!"

"Yeah, and they've been so much help thus far! Three dead students last week, Perry. Just because you don't believe in vampires doesn't mean that people are not _dying. _There aren't even any wild bears around here!"

Laura groaned pitifully and looked towards LaFontaine for support, but her friend was not looking at her.

Perry took a deep breath. "Still, the best way-"

"It wasn't us." Carmilla's voice was quiet.

"Like _hell _it wasn't!" Danny's attack was quick and fierce, but Carmilla was ready, and the wall beside Laura shook as the much bigger woman was thrown across the room, then slumped on Laura's bed.

Carmilla moved with unnatural speed to stand over Danny's limp form. Her jaw was trembling, "It was somebody else, alright? I would never…"

"Um, Carmilla, I don't think she can hear you." LaFontaine grimaced as if regretting having said anything, and Perry went to stand very stiffly just in front of them.

"Was there anything else?" Carmilla ran her fingers through her hair, and Laura took a deep breath, trying not to stare at Carmilla's bare legs.

LaFontaine apparently decided to brave fate once more. "What do you mean, _us?_" They met Laura's eyes briefly, and Laura felt the sting of betrayal.

"My clan, Fountainhead. Do you really think we're stupid enough to kill people off on our own turf?" Apparently growing bored again, Carmilla went back to her bed and gestured towards Danny's unconscious form. "Be a doll and don't forget your murder princess on the way out."

Perry elbowed LaFontaine discreetly when it looked as if they were going to say more. In the end Laura, still drowsy from lack of sleep and with a growing headache, had to help them carry Danny to the campus medic. She grimaced when the stake, broken in two, was thrown out into the corridor behind them. Annoying.

For the first time in so long, everything was alright. Laura was comfortable, calm and warm. She even-

"Laura. Laura!"

She groaned and shook her head just slightly, nuzzling further into the warmth.

"You're on my neck, Laura."

Somebody, _Carmilla_, was pushing at her shoulders to make her let go, but stopped when Laura whimpered. She grew dimly aware that she was lying on top of her roommate, hands tangled in soft hair and mouth on a warm throat. She swallowed another mouthful. It just felt so _nice._

A sigh, and Laura relaxed when arms encircled her waist to hug her closer instead of pushing her away. "You're hopeless, Sweetie."


	4. War

"I'm sorry."

Carmilla was unusually pale as she sucked at the straw she'd jammed into the blood pack, not even bothering with the soy milk container tonight. She lifted an eyebrow at the apology, but otherwise didn't reply. Her neck, partly covered by dark locks of hair, looked as flawless as usual in the dim light of the room. The sun was setting again outside their little room, and Laura felt it in her bones as she grew more alert.

"I mean, I totally should've asked before climbing into your bed, and just because you're not very nice doesn't mean I have to be a jerk as well, but it was so nice and…" She shut her mouth.

"You need to learn control, Laura. I know it's a a bitch in the beginning." Carmilla shut her eyes, emptying the blood pack with a slurping noise. She licked at the straw, and Laura swallowed as she watched.

"I've just never… been gay before."

Carmilla lowered the straw. "Seriously, Muffin? _That's_ what you're getting out of all this?"

Laura straightened her back. "Hey, perhaps you're all experienced, but I haven't really… done this before!" She heard her voice getting shriller, but couldn't really stop herself. "Not that there is anything wrong with being gay! I have lots of gay friends. Danny - she actually asked me on a date - and I think LaFontaine and Perry are pretty…" She trailed off. Carmilla had buried her face in her pillow and clearly wasn't listening.

Laura sighed and got to her feet. She needed a shower, and with some luck, LaFontaine would still be up a bit later. She needed to hand in her Lit paper anyway.

LaFontaine didn't have time for Laura's feelings. They were guarding the door, stake in hand and a nasty tear on one arm that they insisted was "just a scratch". Who knew where they had acquired the shotgun?

"It's bad, Laura. Really bad. They blew up the bridge over at Leoben Drive. No one gets through, not even the police. Perry's parents are over there on the other side, but the base station in Styria shut down this morning and cut the telephone network. Didn't you notice?" She gave Laura a once-over and sighed, turning her attention to the small crack between the boards covering the window. After a moment, Laura pushed her to the side and frowned. The Athletic Training Facility was burning in the distance, casting an orange glow on the deserted grounds.

"Later, losers. Try not to get stuck like that."

Carmilla strolled past and lifted the iron bolt from the door as if it weighed sharp smell of night and fire filled the room.

LaFontaine shook her head, her voice panicked, "No, don't go out, there's a…" The door shut. "...dragon."

"Really? A dragon?" Laura went back to the crack with renewed interest, but she only saw Carmilla, lazily dragging the bolt behind her on her way to the unseen mayhem between the barred-up buildings. Slowly, hear heart sank.

_When the trees stank of sunset and camphor._

Laura had curled up with her back against the wall next to the door. It had been hours since Carmilla went out, but Laura hadn't moved save for when Perry had nudged a steaming cup of tea into her hands. It was cold now, but she still held it close to her chest. Every time the noises of the ongoing fighting reached their flimsy sanctuary, Laura felt herself trembling. LaFontaine had left the shotgun with her, somehow confident that Laura knew how to use it (she didn't).

The rest of the students were discussing in low voices in the main room, but now Danny emerged in a flood of lamplight. She still looked tired, but she had at least cleaned her face and put up her long hair in a ponytail. Danny had first arrived a little while ago, carrying a bloody fire axe and the limp body of Kirsch over one shoulder. One of his arms were missing.

"Laura…" Danny knelt beside her and reached out to gently tuck some hair behind Laura's ear.

Laura closed her eyes at the contact. "Do you know where she is?"

Danny slowly shook her head. "Don't worry about Carmilla, okay? I'm sure she's fine."

Laura looked up at her in disbelief, and then swallowed as her eyes refocused on the pulse point in Danny's neck. Danny pulled away and dropped the hand lingering on Laura's cheek, her expression growing cautious.

"Are we winning?" Laura hated how weak her voice sounded.

"I don't know. We don't even know who the others are yet."

Laura did. She wished she didn't, but she did.

When Laura woke up she was alone save for the dead, and she headed out the unlocked door unto the ruined gravel with the unsettling smell still in her nose. Another two buildings were down - the St. Marie Hall and the Science Building, the former reduced to a pile of rubble and the latter still burning with bright green flames. Laura avoided them both and headed for the gently smoldering remains of the Athletic Training Facility instead, following the sound of voices. Blue light bounced off the scorched walls as she rounded a corner, and she spotted two police helicopters parked in front of the tennis court. The Dean of Students stood speaking to a police officer while a covered stretcher rolled past. When Laura came closer, the Dean turned her head slightly and gave Laura a toothless smile. Her posture was perfect, and not a speck of dust marred her French braid.

"Laura!" LaFontaine grabbed her arm. They were wearing the same clothes as the night before, the cuffs of their checkered shirt dirty and torn.

"We… won?" Laura didn't protest when LaFontaine started dragging Laura towards the cafeteria building.

"Not exactly. They did."

"Who?" Laura looked around dumbly. LaFontaine pushed her inside The Cauldron, where around forty students sat tending to injuries, eating or talking in small groups. The atmosphere was subdued, but calm. Two boys from the Alchemy club were reading from an ancient-looking book spread open on a table.

"The board of administrators. The Dean. Carmilla's mom." LaFontaine waved. "Danny! She's awake!"

Danny broke away from a small crowd and quickly approached, looking even more harried than the last time Laura had seen her, matted red hair dancing around her face. "Perfect! This way."

She didn't wait for a reply before heading past them out onto the school grounds again, and Laura let LaFontaine pull her along. "What…"

"We need your help, Laura."

They took a detour to avoid the police and then headed straight for the Summer Society dorms. One corner of the building had collapsed, water from a broken pipe filling the spaces between fallen pieces of wood and concrete. Laura stumbled when she climbed after Danny up the stairs, and LaFontaine steadied her from behind. The rooms smelled of dust and blood, dark except for where students had hung kerosene lanterns or where the emergency signs still flickered.

Danny knelt beside a girl sitting next to an empty stretcher - Maryam. "How is she doing?"

"Holding on. We need to get her out of here."

"Laura is here, so it shouldn't be a problem. Laura?"

LaFontaine gave her a gentle push, and Laura stared at them in confusion. "What?" She could hear another heartbeat now, fainter than the rest, and she stared at the partly collapsed concrete beam. Maryam, she saw now, was holding onto something - a hand, belonging to a very dusty and hurt-looking student partly hidden by the debris.

Danny straightened. "Lift this beam, so we can get Aiko down to the helicopter. You should be able to get a grip over here." She pointed at the base of the _huge _beam crossing the room diagonally.

"What?" Laura's mind struggled to make sense of the request. She was barely strong enough to lift food to her face.

LaFontaine gave her one of those patient looks, but then their eyes widened and they looked behind Laura just as a Carmilla spoke up in her familiar drawl.

"Why don't you do it yourself, Atlas?"

Danny showed her teeth in a frankly scary snarl. "Does it _look _like the moon is full, vampire? Where the hell have you been?"

"Around." Carmilla sauntered around Laura and bent down, giving Danny a quick look for confirmation before slowly lifting the beam as if it weighed nothing more than a heavy suitcase. Aiko gave a pained scream, and Laura looked away from the sight of torn flesh and broken bone.

Carmilla's clothes were in as bad a shape as everyone else's, the sheer fabric of her shirt torn and showing the black lace of her bra underneath. She helped Clara get Aiko onto the stretcher as painlessly as possible before straightening, wiping her hands on her stained jeans and meeting Laura's eyes with a small smile.

"Let's get out of here, Creampuff." She took Laura's hand and pulled her downstairs, leaving the others to do the rest of the work.


	5. The Dean

"Everyone, this is Laura Hollis. She's new."

"We can see that. So you finally turned someone, Carmilla? She must be very special to you." The glint in the Dean's eyes was far from pleasant, and Laura straightened in automatic defiance.

They were in the Dean's office. Around ten people were sitting and standing along its walls, with the Dean herself sitting behind her elevated desk. Laura recognized Carmilla's brother Will, but the others were new. They looked sort of scary when standing around in a group like this, just a little less than human. One of them, a guy, had red eyes. Eww.

Carmilla shrugged and said, "She wants to join our clan."

Laura stared. She had no such wish, and she was about to say so when Carmilla took her hand and _squeezed_. Her eyes were very dark, and very serious.

"Yeah, um… of course. Your clan. I heard lots of nice things." She was going to kill Carmilla for this later.

The Dean smiled, stroking a blonde strand of hair from her unlined face. She didn't look nearly old enough to be Carmilla's mother. "You will be tried, of course, but until then, you are allowed to continue your studies here at Silas. I am afraid we have other business to attend to right now, however."

"Thank you?" Laura felt her face scrunch up. Carmilla widened her eyes meaningfully and squeezed her hand again. "I mean, it's a great honor. To be tried by you. Wow."

Before she could say anything else, Carmilla bowed her head, pulled Laura out of the office and closed the door behind them.

"What the hell, Carmilla?!"

"Ssssh, not here!" Laura was dragged down one floor in the darkened Administrator Building - the campus had yet to regain power - and pushed up against the wall.

"Do you _realize _how fast clanless vampires are killed when trespassing on claimed territory?"

"No?" Laura really didn't. Her breath faltered when she looked up at Carmilla, the close proximity doing nothing for her mental resources. "Is it really fast?"

Carmilla let out a short laugh, supporting herself with a hand against the wall at Laura's back as she leaned in to tiredly rest her forehead against Laura's. "Yeah… yeah it is, Sweetheart."

Once the base station in Styria was up and running (and the bodies of the two workers taken to the morgue), Laura spent nearly two hours convincing her dad over the phone that yes, she was alive, no, she wasn't going home, and no, she definitely didn't want him to pick her up as soon as the bridge was repaired. The whole ordeal wasn't made easier by her avoiding his calls for the past month, or the fact that the "terrorist attack" was all over the news. Eleven dead, more than thirty wounded, and a campus partly in ruins. The media helicopters and even a few drones were yet to clear out two days later, and more than half of the student body were eagerly awaiting air or water transport. Perry had already gone, electing to take an impromptu holiday during the rebuilding and leaving a very lonely LaFontaine behind. Considering Perry's state of mental breakdown, Laura was surprised that LaFountaine hadn't gone with her.

Laura, to her surprise, found herself with a new schedule full of 8 pm lectures and distance courses, courtesy of the administration. While the green flames of the Science Building slowly faded, she burrowed under a soft blanket and looked at cat pictures on Tumblr.

"Laura… there's a reason why the fridge is full of blood packs."

Laura only shrugged and tensed up, anticipating Carmilla's next move.

"It is to avoid this specific scenario, Laura." Carmilla's voice sounded faint in Laura's ear.

Laura swallowed and trembled lightly, but Carmilla didn't even try to push her away this time. Instead, she sighed and just hugged Laura close again in the dim morning light. Time passed, and then Laura very carefully let go of her bite, licked away the remnants of blood and nuzzled into Carmilla's neck as it healed. She hadn't taken as much this time, and Carmilla was still warm, her heart beating dully. Laura let out a shuddering breath and reached up to wipe at her eyes.

"Laura… please don't cry. It'll be okay." Carmilla's hand was in Laura's hair, stroking awkwardly.

"No it won't." Laura fought to regain control over herself, failed, and clutched at the fabric of Carmilla's night shirt.

"It's not that bad…" Carmilla sounded less than convinced herself, and Laura pulled back enough to stare at her.

Carmilla shrugged and grimaced. "So what if it is? Sometimes, life is just shitty." Her eyes softened, then. "Laura…"

Laura just shook her head and Carmilla pulled her down to gently kiss her temple. After that, she let Laura cry.


	6. Stories

LaFontaine looked at her over the rim of their coffee mug. "Just tell me one thing. Was it Carmilla?"

Laura shook her head and looked down at her hands. They had started studying together, both wanting company more than anything else. Since the Science Building burned down, a lot of the classes had been moved or temporarily cancelled, meaning that LaFontaine had an easier workload than before. The Cauldron was mostly empty of people even though it was the early evening, only a low murmur of voices audible in the wide space. A lot of the students hadn't returned. Danny and a most of the Zetas were away as well, attending Kirsch's funeral.

"Then who?"

"I'm not ready to talk about that yet, LaFontaine." She paused, then asked the question on her own mind. "Why didn't you go with Perry when she left?"

It was LaFontaine's turn to look uncomfortable. They were silent for a moment, but then they said, blue eyes troubled, "I should give her some space."

Laura looked at her friend. "Space? I thought you two.. I mean…"

"Not really. Perry… she doesn't feel the same, you know? We've been best friends since kindergarden, but... she just doesn't lo… like me the same way I like her. I'm just a really good friend, I guess." They grimaced. "She asked me to come with her, but I can't. Not while I feel like this."

Laura reached out and took LaFontaine's hand. "Are you sure you're not just misreading things? I do that all the time."

LaFontaine's smile was sad. "I'm sure. I don't blame her, either. I mean, look at me." Laura looked, but she couldn't find anything wrong with the white T shirt or the denim vest. LaFontaine looked nice, as always.

"You know what? She doesn't deserve you. You should find someone better." LaFontaine just smiled that same sad smile in reply, and Laura looked down after a moment. She bit her lip.

"LaFontaine?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think it made me gay?"

"What, me?" LaFontaine lifted their eyebrows and looked down at their joined hands.

Laura narrowed her eyes. "No, _it! _You know… the change?"

LaFontaine leaned forward and rested her elbows on the pages of the forgotten book in front of her. "Oh, so now we're admitting that there was a change!"

"Could you just answer the question, please?"

"Do _you _think it made you gay?" LaFontaine suddenly looked like Christmas had arrived.

_Yes_.

"I don't know… maybe? I'm feeling gay feelings. I think."

"For _me_?" Their eyes were glittering now. Laura pulled her hand back with a huff and turned her chair slightly so that she could face something other than her infuriating friend.

"No! Carmilla, if you must know."

LaFontaine's grin was annoyingly contagious. "Yeah, totally. That happens all the time, I hear. You turn into a vampire, and then you catch the gay."

"Really." Laura was proud of the flat tone she managed in that one word.

"No."

Laura took a deep breath. "I don't think they meant to turn me."

Carmilla stilled. Dawn was approaching again, and the bed really wasn't made for two, but they were both small enough to ignore that fact. Carmilla had actually accepted the permanency of Laura's presence in her bed with minimal whining, but now she felt stiff as a board against Laura. "They?"

"There was so much blood when I woke up. I guess it wasn't all mine..." Laura's voice was barely a whisper and further muffled by Carmilla's shoulder, but she knew it was audible to the vampire. "I just thought I'd take a walk, and I was kinda drunk so I forgot I shouldn't go alone…"

She burrowed further into Carmilla's warmth as she continued, her breathing uneven.

At first, they'd let her think she'd get away. The fear had struck her squarely in the chest when she'd heard their approach between the trees, and she'd known from their smiles alone that this wouldn't end well. Running was no use. Someone had hit her in the head fairly early on, making her dizzy and disoriented. Laura mostly remembered pain after that, and the blood, and her own broken screaming. Tearing skin. Bones breaking. Chewing.

"Turns out Krav Maga only works when you're fully conscious. Funny, huh?"

Carmilla didn't seem to think it was very funny, so Laura continued, eyes tightly shut, "There was blood in my eyes, at the end, but the sky was really beautiful. It spun. I couldn't really breathe anymore at that point… I think maybe my lungs were punctured."

She couldn't really breathe now either, but she had to tell someone, sometime.

"When I woke up… I didn't know people could bleed that much. Couldn't see at first, for the leaves. Guess they didn't even bother to bury me."

She took an uneven breath. "Remember Henry, the History TA? They said a bear got him."

Carmilla's voice was strangled. "We thought it was the Ó Dálaighs. Not… you."

The sound of voices could be heard outside the window. The campus was awake.

"They're all dead, right? The other clan? They're gone, aren't they?"

"Yeah, Laura. They're gone."


	7. Talk of the Trial

It was long overdue, but Carmilla and Laura were finally having a conversation about the upcoming trial. So far, the new information was far from reassuring. Laura was starting to regret bringing it up, instead wishing she had convinced Carmilla to do some more cleaning. Carmilla, for her part, kept giving Laura amused looks as she tried to eat a box of chocolate-chip cookies without throwing up.

Laura waved her latest, half-eaten attempt in the air. "So let me get this straight. The Dean sacrificed your last girlfriend to some ancient evil? The same Dean who is also the clan leader of the Austrian Branch, which I have somehow applied for membership at?"

"Basically." Carmilla sat on her bed, resting her elbows on her knees. Laura had some trouble tearing her eyes away from the exposed cleavage. "Really, our name is Die Ligne Gefolge des Grafen Henegouwen, but no one calls us that anymore. Marie likes to keep a low profile." She smirked. "The men of House Ligne followed the Henegouwen - the Hainauts - into war during the crusades, and more than half of them came back all pale and gloomy. Marie was born into the family a while later. Her brother Gerard is still back in Austria, being a total douchebag, but the rest of the really old ones are dead by now."

"And she locked you inside a coffin for like a hundred years for disobeying her?"

"Yeah."

"Why the hell would I want to be all chummy with a bunch of dusty old sociopaths, Carmilla?"

"Because otherwise, you can't stay here." Carmilla grimaced. "And they... we... aren't exactly the worst ones."

Laura was not convinced by Carmilla's crappy sales pitch. "And every twenty years, you all come here to sacrifice a bunch of people for no reason?"

Carmilla lay back and stared up at the roof. "I bet there's a really great reason."

"That you don't know about."

"Yeah."

Laura threw the cookie at her face.

"You know, Shortcake, this is considered just a teeny bit rude."

Laura didn't reply for a minute or so, but then she hesitantly pulled back and dragged her eyes away from Carmilla's still bleeding neck to her eyes. "Do you mind?"

Carmilla rolled her eyes. "You should at least ask me on a date first. I'm a lady."

Maybe she should do that. Later. She gave in to impulse and licked Carmilla's wounds clean before they closed up completely, and she felt the other woman's breath hitch in her throat. When she looked up again, Carmilla's eyes were a shade darker than before.

"Would you mind if I tried something?"

At Carmillas resigned expression, Laura scooted up a little on top of her. She took a few calming breaths, suddenly nervous, but then she tilted her head and very lightly pressed her lips to Carmilla's.

Carmilla took a few seconds to respond, but then she reached up to cup Laura's face with both hands as she turned the kiss into something more involved. Laura felt a rush that blindsided her slightly, but then the kiss was over and Carmilla was looking up at her.

"You don't have to do this, Laura." Carmilla's expression was serious, and she stroked her thumb over Laura's temple, keeping her long hair from falling down in Carmilla's face.

Laura whispered, attempting a smile, "Maybe I want to? I mean, if it's alright?"

Instead of answering, Carmilla pulled her down and kissed her again. Laura didn't know it could feel this way.


	8. Fire and Dragons

Danny was back and finished turning into a furry beast for the time being, which was great, because that meant they could hang out. Danny still looked at her like she thought Laura would try and eat her at any moment (which she totally wouldn't, by the way, even though Danny did smell very good), but movie night was still nice. LaFontaine was sitting with their back to the couch munching popcorn, and Laura was absently playing with their hair as they all talked over the movie. The Amazing Spiderman really wasn't that amazing.

"She let you bite her? Wow, that's practically like marriage for vampires." Aiko was practically sitting on Danny's lap, her left leg still in a cast. The two seemed to have hit it off after the small war, if all the necking was anything to go by.

Laura squirmed a bit. "Well, not _let _exactly… more like she didn't protest a lot?"

They all stilled at that. "I was hungry! And I said I was sorry after the first time!"

"Right." Aiko squinted at her.

Laura scoffed. "You know what would be like marriage? If she actually picked her clothes off the floor," LaFontaine gave Laura a wounded look over their shoulder when she tugged a bit too hard at their hair. "and stopped dragging her secret pet in to leave hairs everywhere. Or whatever. Honestly, has she always been this messy?"

Danny dragged her eyes away from Emma Stone for a moment. "Laura, those people are really dangerous. You shouldn't trust Carmilla any more than you have to, and especially not the Dean. They were the ones who made people disappear, not the outsiders."

LaFontaine shrugged, relaxing again when Laura patted their head in apology. "If she hasn't hurt Laura so far, I'd say she's pretty safe." Danny opened her mouth as if to protest, but LaFontaine continued, "You're part of their clan now, right? What was the trial like?"

Laura grimaced faintly. "Awkward, but sort of nice? I'm apparently Carmilla's responsibility in some weird way because she told everyone she turned me, and I have to follow some old code in Austrian and call the Dean Countess Hainaut whenever we're alone. She said I was lucky two of them died during the 'conflict'" Laura made citation marks with her fingers. "leaving an opening for me. They're totally creepy, honestly, and they're really into blood rituals. Also, she said they'd stake me and bury me alive if I revealed any of their secrets."

"Yikes." Aiko stared at Laura.

There was a silence, in which Danny made her 'I told you so' face in multiple directions.

Laura took a careful sip from her mug of water. "Wow, so that Spiderman really is very spidery, huh?"

Perry returned after two months, as springy as ever, and completely in denial of anything supernatural ever happening at Silas University, otherwise known as the most normal place on Earth. This, of course, meant that her friends would take care to mention said supernatural happenings as much as possible in her presence. Laura actually felt sorry for her where she sat beside LaFontaine, primly eating her sandwich.

"So where did the dragon go? It was gone when the police arrived, right?" Aiko grinned widely.

"It was more of a wyvern, really. The Ó Dálaighs bring them for special occasions." Carmilla popped a piece of sausage into her mouth. Being old apparently made her able to eat _and _walk in sunlight. The unfairness of it all. "We dragged it down into the catacombs and toasted it."

"But fire cannot kill a dragon~" Sometimes, Laura wondered what Danny saw in Aiko.

"What?! We have _catacombs? _Why has no one told me of this?" LaFontaine slammed their fork down on the table.

"You would know if you ever went on any patrols with us instead of holing yourself up in the new lab." Danny gave LaFontaine an unimpressed look. Laura hoped they wouldn't get into another fight.

"Girls… I mean, people…" Perry gave LaFontaine a quick look. "I think we can all agree that there was no dragon. The terrorists-"

Laura quickly cut in before Perry started reciting media sources again. "I wish I'd gotten to see it. Wow, a real dragon…"

"This is a dream come true!", Aiko cut in. Danny snorted, and the two giggled like middleschool kids.

"_Really, _Aiko?" Laura glared at them both, but when Carmilla slid behind her chair and casually stroked a hand down her arm she found herself unable to stay annoyed.

LaFontaine, ever the inquisitive one, asked carefully, "Sooo, will Betty and the others be back soon?"

Carmilla's smile faded. "Nope. They never come back." Laura nudged her and she looked away, dark eyes distant. "Sorry, Beaker."

Laura's dad did not take it well. The terrorist attack, Laura's sudden sun allergy and the delinquent Philosophy major girlfriend combined convinced him that Silas University was made of evil. While this in itself wasn't an incorrect notion even in the literal sense, it lead to Laura's fundings being cut abruptly and a written order (really, dad?) to get her butt back home. His surprise visit wasn't made better by his constant sneezing and asking where they were hiding the cat, which was something Laura had started to wonder as well.

A mysterious scholarship appeared within days to make up for the lost resources. Vampires sure knew how to organize.

"Is it really that bad, Cupcake?"

Laura looked up at Carmilla and then nuzzled into her neck. The warmth really helped. She never wanted to feel cold again. "I guess it isn't." She let out a small laugh. "Twenty years until next time, huh?"

"Sure is, Sweetie." Carmilla's voice was a low purr.

"Will you clean the bathroom until then?"

"Nope."

"I hate you."


End file.
